Revolving barrel gun with reciprocating barrels



Dec. 20, 1960 w. D. MQTHOMAS REVOLVING BARREL GUN WITH RECIPROCATING BARRELS Filed May 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Will inm llmmma BY Dec. 20, 1960 w. D. MOTHOMAS 2,965,003

REVOLVING BARREL GUN WITH RECIPROCATING BARRELS Filed May 24, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi A- Ea] INVENTOR.

Willi um [I -MBTfiumus waoamm rgw Dec. 20, 1960 w. D. MGTHOMAS REVOLVING BARREL GUN WITH RECIPROCATING BARRELS Filed May 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. W'I lliumIlMcTfinmus REVOLVING BARREL GUN WITH RECIPROCATING BARRELS William D. McThomas, Arlington Heights, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 24, 1957, Ser. No. 661,554 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-126) My invention relates to an automatic gun having a plurality of barrels for inclosing cartridges, which barrels are symmetrically arranged in a cage disposed for continuous rotation about an axis while the gun is being fired and more particularly to such a gun in which the barrels also reciprocate longitudinally during the rotation for chambering cartridges therein and extracting the cases of the cartridges therefrom.

It is an object of my invention to provide such a gun with barrels disposed in a rotatable member for reciprocation responsive to the sequential discharge of cartridges in the barrels.

Another object of my invention is to provide the gun with cylinders having pistons connected to the barrels for reciprocal operation thereof responsive to the discharges.

A further object of my invention is to provide the gun with a receiver, a plurality of barrels, a member rotatably mounted in the receiver and adapted to support the barrels for reciprocal operation responsive to the discharge of cartridges therein, and a rotation cam and followers corresponding to the barrels respectively disposed in the receiver and the member for rotating the member responsive to the reciprocal operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide the gun with a chambering cam in the receiver engageable with the followers to chamber the cartridges responsive to the rotation.

An additional object of my invention is to provide the gun with a device for retaining the barrels in a firing position member and in a firing station in the receiver for discharge of cartridges in the barrels.

In carrying out my invention, a gun with a receiver includes a cage therein provided with a shaft and disposed for rotation therewith. Barrels for chambering cartridges and corresponding anvils for gripping the cases of the cartridges are disposed in the cage in symmetrical relation with the shaft and are rotatable to stations in the receiver including a firing station wherein the barrels and the anvils are successively engaged to close the breech of the barrels for discharge of the cartridges.

Each of the barrels is secured to the piston of a cylinder disposed in the cage. The cylinders are in communication with the rotationally succeeding ones of the barrels to receive discharge gases therefrom for displacement of the barrels away from the anvils for extraction of the cases of the cartridges from the barrels when in the station following the firing station.

A rotation cam and followers are respectively disposed in the receiver and on each of the barrels for cooperation to successively rotate the barrels to the firing station responsive to the displacement of the barrels by the discharge gases.

A chambering cam is in continuous relation with the rotation cam and is disposed in the receiver for engagement with the followers for actuating the barrels into engagement with the corresponding ones of the anvils at the firing station responsive to the rotation of the cage.

United States Patent 2,965,003 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 ice A latch cam is disposed in the receiver for cooperation with latches, which are cooperable with each of the barrels and are pivotally mounted in the cage, to successively actuate the latches into locking engagement with shoulders provided on the barrels for releasably securing the barrels to the receiver when in the firing station and battery position.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a gun incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view along line 2-2 of Fig. t;

Fig. 3 is a view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view along line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a continuation of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6 is a view along line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view along line 7--7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a view along line 8-8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a cutaway perspective view of the gun.

Shown in the figures is a gun 12 provided with a receiver 14. A cage 16 is rotatably mounted in receiver 14 and is provided with a longitudinally disposed shaft 17. Cage 16 is supported by a pair of annularly assembled roller bearings 18 which are respectively mounted between the receiver and cage at the front and rear ends thereof and the forward thrust of the cage is taken by roller bearings 19 disposed between the cage and receiver 14. A plurality of barrels 20 which are limited to five in the present embodiment, are slidingly mounted in cage 16 for longitudinal reciprocation between a rearward battery position and a forward open position and are symmetrically disposed in such cage around shaft 17. A circular member 48 slidingly supports the front portions of barrels 20 and such member is rotatably mounted to receiver 14 by means of a bearing 50.

Cage 16 includes an end plate 52 to the front face of which there are mounted five anvils 21 each of which is positioned axially rearward of one of the barrels 20 so as to be engaged thereby to close the breech thereof when in the battery position. Each of the anvils is disposed to receive a cartridge from a feeding mechanism (not shown) when in the first of the two charging stations, noted at 28 and 29 in Fig. 6, and grips such cartridge by the base and in position to enter the chambers of the corresponding barrel when such barrel is moved, as hereinafter described, from the open to the battery position during rotation of the barrels to the firing station, noted at 25. Such anvils, too, retain engagement with the bases of the cartridges during movement of the barrels 20 from the battery to the open position, to extract the fired cartridge cases from the barrels, when rotated from the power station, noted at 26, to the extraction station, noted at 27.

Each of the barrels 20 is actuated from the battery to the open position by means of a cylinder 22 mounted in cage 16 and having a cooperating piston 30 which is engaged to the barrel by clamp means, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The pistons 30 are actuated to move the engaged one of the barrels 20 by gases bled from the succeeding one of the barrels, according to the direction of rotation of cage 16, to the cooperating cylinder whereby, referring again to Fig. 6, the gases from the barrel 20 in the firing station 25 are vented to cylinder 22 of the barrel in power station 26 for actuation thereof from the battery to the open position. Such actuation is converted, as hereinafter described, to rotation of cage 16 for advancing the barrels 20 one station so that the barrel actuated by gases in power station 26 is rotated to extraction station 27 and while being actuated to the open position such barrel uncovers the tired cartridge case which is removed from the engaging anvil 21 by ejection means (not shown). The cartridges are conventionally ignited by an electrical firing pin 44 disposed in each of the anvils 21 when the electrical firing circuit (not shown) is closed.

Transversely disposed in receiver 14 is an annular ring having a rotation cam portion 36 and a chamber cam portion 46. Such cam portions are successively engaged by a roller 34 mounted to each of the barrels 20 and are disposed so that the roller on the barrel 20 in the power station is engaged with rotation cam portion 38 to convert the longitudinal reciprocation of such barrel to rotation of cage 16. Chambering cam portion 46 is engaged with the rollers 34 of the two barrels 20 actuated by such rotation from the charging stations 28 and 29 to firing station 25 to convert the rotation of cage 16 to linear actuation of said barrels for movement thereof from the open to the battery position.

Each of the barrels 20 is releasably locked against longitudinal displacement when in battery position by a latch 38 which is pivoted at 39 in cage 16 for engagement with mating shoulders 42 provided on the barrels. The latches 38 are actuated into engagement with the shoulders 42 by means of a cam 40, best shown in Fig. 3, which is disposed in receiver 14 so as to be engaged by the latches when the corresponding one of the barrels 20 is in firing station 25.

Thus, referring in particular to Fig. 6, when one of the barrels 20 is fired in firing station 25, the gases from the discharge are bled to the cylinder 22 corresponding to the barrel in station 26 to energize piston 30 therein for actuating such barrel to the open position. During such actuation, roller 34 on the barrel in station 26 moves along rotational cam portion 36 to rotate cage 16 one pitch and advance each of the barrels one station. Also, when such barrel is actuated to the open position, the fired cartridge case retained by the cooperating one of the anvils 21 is uncovered for ejection from the engaging anvil 21 by ejector means (not shown). Furthermore, when cage 16 is rotated, the rollers on the barrels in the charging stations 28 and 29 are engaged by chambering cam portion 46 to actuate such barrels from the open to the battery position to chamber the cartridges therein by the time such barrels reach firing station 25.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claim is intended to include such variations.

I claim:

A gun comprising a receiver, a cage mounted for rotation in said receiver, a plurality of barrels slidingly mounted in said cage for reciprocation between a battery and an open position and being rotatable with said cage for sequential alignment with stations including a pair of charging stations, a firing station, a power station and an extraction station, a plurality of anvils corresponding to said barrels disposed in said cage for engagement by said barrels when each thereof is in the battery position and disposed to hold a cartridge in position to be chambered by the corresponding one of said barrels when actuated from the open to the battery position and to retain the fired case of the cartridge when said corresponding barrel is actuated from the battery to the open position for extraction therefrom, piston means actuated by gases from the discharge of a cartridge in the one of said barrels in the battery position for actuating the one of said barrels in the power station from the battery to the open position, means disposed between said barrels and said receiver for converting the longitudinal reciprocation of the barrel in the power station to rotation of said cage to advance said barrel from the power station to the extractor station while being moved to the open position, shoulders on each one of said barrels, latches pivotally mounted to said cage for respective actuation against each of said barrels for releasable engagement with said shoulders thereon, and a cam disposed in said receiver for sequential engagement with said latches for actuation thereof into engagement with said shoulders when the corresponding one of said barrels is in the firing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bird July 31, 1956 

